Dogs that bark to warn epileptics about an oncoming seizure and help them when they have a fit could be available in Britain under a programme being considered by UCB, the global biopharmaceuticals group.

One its top drugs is Keppra, an anti-epilepsy treatment for adults and children, and in April last year, it announced a partnership with Canine Assistants, a US not-for-profit organisation that trains dogs to assist people with disabilities. UCB sponsors the training of seizure-response dogs for those with epilepsy.

The labradors and golden retrievers are taught to look after the person when they have a fit, and some are also able to predict an oncoming seizure - warning their owners by barking or licking their hands. When the seizure happens, the dog uses different methods to look after its owner.

Rich Denness, of UCB's central nervous system division, also responsible for the partnership with Canine Assistants, said: "Some dogs will lie over the patient and keep them stable. Others will go straight to the fridge for some water, go to the phone, or go to get some medicine."

UCB funds the training of the animals, as well as the lifetime costs of food and vet fees once the dog is given to a person with epilepsy, which amounts to about $18,000 per animal. The funding comes from UCB's marketing budget, and a full-scale campaign has been launched around Canine Assistants, with some of the dogs regularly travelling to the US for epilepsy events. The group is considering rolling the programme out to the UK - where about one in 130 people has epilepsy - and other parts of the world to create a global network.

By the end of this year, Canine Assistants will have a waiting list of 1,000 people in the US, and it estimates that more than 200 of those will be asking for seizure-response dogs. The UK also has a number of charities that train dogs for the disabled, but only one - Support Dogs - specialises in seizure-alert dogs that can predict an epileptic fit between 15 and 50 minutes before it occurs.

A spokeswoman for the UK's Epilepsy Action said: "We hear a lot of stories of people being attacked when having the seizures, and they are concerned about going out in public. Having a dog makes it a bit safer."